Latest Fad Diet: The Flat Belly Diet
Most people go on a diet for purely aesthetic reasons, with a goal of getting rid of a spare tire around the midsection or unsightly back fat, so it's no wonder that with a name like "the flat belly diet" people are jumping on the latest fad diet bandwagon. Details of the new diet are, of course, chronicled in a book written by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass. Vaccariello, editor-in-chief of Prevention Magazine, and Sass, a registered dietitian and the nutrition director of Prevention Magazine, stress the importance of mind tricks in achieving your weight loss goals. This could be something as simple as keeping those skinny size 28 jeans that no longer fit hanging in plain view.
According to the authors, getting a flat stomach is all about food and attitude. The mind tricks serve to remind you at mealtime that "you have embarked on a new way of life."
Mindtricks aside, the key component of the flat belly diet is a 1600 calorie per day plan spread out over four 400-calorie meals. The diet also stresses the importance of allowing no more than four hours between meals, and that each meal should include a monosaturated fatty food to help get rid of that flabby belly.
Creators of the diet claim that new research shows that monosaturated fatty acids help make weight loss easier, but specifically target belly fat. The fine flat belly foods in the diet include oils, olives, nuts and seeds, dark or semisweet chocolate, and avocado. Specifically, the nuts and seeds include almond butter, almonds, chunky natural peanut butter, and Brazil nuts. Oils include olive oil, flaxseed oil, and canola oil.
The diet itself lasts 28 days, and begins with a four-day anti-bloat start designed to eliminate swelling and prep the body for the diet. Water mixed with ginger and a prescribed list of food and drinks are consumed to "help flush out fluid, reduce water retention, and relieve digestive issues."
Some sample meals on the diet include a # Crunchy Tuna Melt, Shrimp and Snow Pea Sesame Pasta, Cheesy Spinach Ziti, and more. Additional recipes, customizable daily menus, and online support are available at the diet's subscription based website located at flatbellydiet.com.
Original Source : http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/5906
